LG taps Bang & Olufsen to bring hi-fi audio features to the LG G5

In the lead-up to the official LG G5 LG's slow drip of information about the device continues. In the latest bit of news, LG has announced a collaboration with famed audio company Bang & Olufsen to bring hi-fi audio features to the G5.

Specifically, LG has partnered with B&O PLAY, the arm of Bang & Olufsen responsible for bringing the firm's premium audio pedigree to new types of products. While LG doesn't make clear what types of features we can expect out of the partnership, a recent leak hinted that B&O Play may be providing the tech behind a digital audio chip module that can be swapped in and out of the smartphone thanks to its rumored "Magic Slot."

In any case, we'll know much more once LG officially takes the wraps off of the LG G5 on February 21 ahead of Mobile World Congress.

Press Release

LG AND B&O PLAY COLLABORATE TO ENHANCE AUDIO EXPERIENCE ON NEW SMARTPHONE

Leading Premium Audio Company B&O PLAY to Bring Renowned
Signature Sound and Acoustic Performance to LG's Latest Smartphone

SEOUL, Feb. 19, 2016 ― LG Electronics (LG) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with premium audio firm B&O PLAY to offer its smartphone users an enhanced high-quality audio experience. Firmly grounded in 90 years of audio and design excellence, craftsmanship and product innovation from Bang & Olufsen, B&O PLAY interprets the same values for a new type of contemporary products aimed at quality and design-conscious customers perfectly fitting the continued establishment of LG as the undisputed leader in smartphone audio.

The two companies have been working closely together on the new LG G5 to ensure the best sound experience to the customers. LG will be the first company to offer the powerful Hi-Fi audio features co-designed by B&O PLAY.

"We are very excited to work with LG. With LG's dedication to premium smartphones, the collaboration gives us the opportunity to bring B&O PLAY's acoustic excellence to an even broader customer base," said Henrik Taudorf Lorensen, President of B&O PLAY. "B&O PLAY appeals to music lovers who want the best available products on the market. They are uncompromisingly innovative, without boundaries and constantly on the go and they expect the same from the headphones as well as the mobile devices they choose, so this is a perfect match."

Having already broken new ground in smartphone audio, LG plans to continue its collaboration with B&O PLAY in order to enhance the competitiveness of its smartphone audio experience further.

"By collaborating with B&O PLAY, we believe we can meet and surpass the heightened expectations of consumers seeking the next generation of enhanced audio experiences on their smartphones," said Juno Cho, President and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. "Our collaboration with B&O PLAY has proven mutually beneficial and LG will continue to work with other leading companies in a variety of different industries in order to set new standards for innovation in the premium smartphone market."

While its collaboration with B&O PLAY is a recent development, LG has a long history of integrating high-quality audio in its premium smartphones and the most recent - the V10 - is just one of many smartphones to earn praise for its best-in-class audio capabilities.

Yes, but their partnerships don't always work out well as in the case in hp's line up on B&O "tuned" laptops. We will have to see if they are actually making the speaker module of of they are just including another equalizer gimmick. Hopefully the former.

I am very much in favor of companies making audio quality an important feature in their phones.. I found it funny how LG snuck in there that they were the undisputed leader of audio quality in smartphones..... I'm sure HTC and Samsung (the note 5 has a great DAC) would have something to say about that.

I know audio quality at its core is different to every listener but gsmarena's sound tests have the M9 scoring much better in certain areas than the v10 like stereo crosstalk which is absolutely amazing on the M9 with headphones.... Amazing sound stage

I've wondered about the validity of their test since I saw it, they don't seem to say if they have the Hi-Fi DAC turned on or not. And even if it was turned on, they don't say if it was in normal audio mode or high impedance mode.

Anyway, I'm just going by my ears. I've owned a number of HTC phones, and none of them could make my HD598s sing the way the V10 does

It's definitely the most interesting phone right now, there's no doubt about that. it's gonna be hit or miss though, people will love it or hate it ... I just hope they did something with their skin, that's really the only thing preventing me from taking LG seriously. I really want to like it though, can't wait to see their show!